Family is Everything
by RMHBRP
Summary: Breathe in, breathe out. In, out, never look back. Smile, laugh, recede. Put on your mask.
1. Family is Everything

_Breathe in, breathe out. In, out, never look back. Smile, laugh, recede. Put on your mask._

Lance blearily opened his eyes, castle alarms blaring. He groaned, less than eager to get up.

" _Get up, Lance! Zarkon won't give a quiznak about stupid sleep! You can't disappoint your team like this! GET UP!"_

Lance jolted awake, falling from his bed. One groan, two, then he donned his armour, bayard, and proceeded to the bridge. When he arrived, he was met by each of the impatient faces of his team. Hunk looked slightly concerned, why was he…? Wait. In his haste he forgot to check the mirror to put his smile in place, shit, he must look awful. He mustered up his strength, and sent a half convincing smile to his team. They did not seem pleased.

"Lance, you must be on time for once. You are lucky this was simply a drill. You need to be more serious about our missions, I know you miss your Earth, but that is no excuse to act _foolish_."

 _Allura._

"Lance, the princess is right. I understand you miss home, we all do, but you have to take these things _seriously_. We are the universe's only hope. We can't afford to be late."

 _Shiro._

"Lance, stop acting so _childish_ all the time. You aren't the only person on this team you know. Stop acting so damn _selfish._ "

 _Pidge._

"Lance, why can't you work harder? We get it already; you don't have anything _important_ to do. Stop whining and acting like a baby! You have it easy. I train, Hunk fixes, Shiro practices, Pidge works. What do you do? Nothing! You sit around and bug us! You are a _pest,_ a _nuisance._ "

 _Keith._

"M'sorry Lance, but… they're right. You don't really help out. I don't like to say it but… if you could just try to be more serious? Like… well… Y'know…"

Ouch. That hurt.

 _Hunk. His best friend._

 _More like Keith, right?_ He wanted to say it. He really did. His soul cracked a little more at every word thrown. But he's already wasted enough of their time. He smiled, voice sounding weak even to him.

"Hey, hey… I know I'm popular and all, but could you stop crowdin' please?"

They scowled. Uh-oh.

"Look, I'm sorry… I won't let it happen again." He repeated for...how many times has it been? He had lost track long ago. He was hollow, wanting nothing else but to shrink away from the withering look his teammates settled on him. They seemed to accept the answer, but fixed him with a glare. _A warning_.

He wasted no time in hurrying to his room, first walking out of the room casually, as not to raise suspicion, but once he was out of sight, he broke into a sprint as quick as his legs would take him. When he reached the door, he closed it, locked it, and sank to the floor, breathing rapid, shuddering gasps. Thank whatever god was out there that these walls were soundproof. Fat tears began to stream down his face as he let out a sob.

"Why can't I do anything right? I try so, _so_ hard, but it never works! I'm useless, stupid, re- replaceable." He cried out.

His words were interrupted by a barrage of hiccups and sobs that shook every fiber of his being.

 _Pest, Childish, Nuisance, Selfish, Foolish, Immature, Unimportant…_

 _Not like Keith._

 _Never like Keith._

His throat began to constrict, breathing becoming rapidly more difficult. He grabbed fistfuls of hair, violently pulling as he struggled to breathe. More tears. More ugly, broken, sobs. He was in so much pain, so alone. Another sob, broken, desperate.

"Please… someone… anyone...help me." A whisper that fell on deaf halls, each one more empty than the last, with the rest of the team smiling, laughing over dinner.

No one noticed Lance was missing.


	2. In the Eye of a Hurricane

GRAPHIC CONTENT AHEAD

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

 _Lance opened his eyes, half awake._

 _He blinked, clumsily stumbling through the chaos in front of him._

 _His eyes snapped open. Where… where was he? This isn't the… oh god, please, not this, anything but this._

 _There were screams, water and wind blew, houses collapsed and he saw someone. The person was a small boy, with caramel skin, tawny brown hair, and sapphire blue eyes, big and glimmering with tears. The boy was being carried by, and shielded by a man._

 _The boy was Lance._

 _Five years old, and in the middle of Hurricane Katrina, Lance watched as his younger self was set down near a warehouse while his Papa watched for his Mama and brother._

" _Papa? I'm scared… where are mama and Amias? Are they okay?"_

 _His father looked down with gentle eyes._

" _Mijo, Mama and Amias are going to be just fine. They're looking for us now! We will all be together soon Carino."_

 _Younger Lance looked at the man with such adoration and trust, and the man returned with a warm, loving, smile._

 _Lance never could have known it would be the last smile his father would give._

" _LANCE! LOOK OUT!"_

 _The young boy had no time to look before he was shoved away under an old work desk, horrified at the scene unfolding before his young eyes._

 _His father never had time to dodge the steel beam that came crashing down. Both Lance's screamed, watching in horror as the steel beam fell atop his father's head, effectively crushing it, and splattering blood and brains. The young Lance cried out._

" _NO!"_

 _Then he was surrounded by the rubble crashing down around him, saved by the desk, as he sobbed for his lost father._

Two days.

That's how long five year old Lance spent, without food or water, under the rubble. Every night, he cried himself to sleep, stench of rotting flesh wafting through the small holes in his tomb. He was later found by rescuers, and made in contact with his mother. His family, minus one, had rejoiced upon seeing each other after so long. His small family of four, had shrunk, and they all felt it. They had nothing, their house and precious belongings wiped out, the loving father and husband dead. His mother spoke, soft and fragile, as if the words could be scattered by a single breath.

"Carino, it is time for us to find a new home."

Lance jolted awake, a sharp cry of "NO!" on his tongue.

He looked around, confused. What time was it? Since when had he drifted off? He didn't remember crawling to his bed. It was… 3 in the morning!

He felt a spark of hope. Maybe, someone had saved him, lifted him from this dark pit he tried so desperately to escape from.

He looked around, frantic for any signs of life.

No one. No one had seen him, his body, in self preservation mode, had forced him onto his bed. No one had helped him.

Lance cried himself back to sleep that night, and no one even bothered to wake him the next morning.


	3. A Heartfelt Apology

When Lance woke up, it was to an eerie quiet that penetrated his very being. His head was throbbing, and his throat felt like it had swallowed sandpaper.

In other words, he felt like shit.

He ruefully rolled out of his bed to get ready, simultaneously checking the clock. 5 A.M. he had only slept two hours since his 'flashback' and felt it quite distinctly. He decided he didn't want to attempt sleep, and walked off to prepare for the long day.

He trudged into the connected bathroom with tired dismay. He forgot his face cream that night, so he had some sleep lines on his face, ugh. He decided to just wash his face, half-heartedly hand comb his hair (Alliteration), and walk out for breakfast.

He wasn't exactly thrilled to see his teammates again, and his mind was in a more fragile state since the 'flashback', so seeing the people who made him feel so inferior didn't sound very appealing. Even so, he forced himself through the door just to get some form of sustenance, no matter how green or slimey. As soon as he did, though, he immediately regretted it. Having expected and empty room at five in the morning, he was surprised to see his entire team, Allura and Coran included, waiting at the table, presumably for him.

Uh-oh. Were they still mad about yesterday? Why would they be here right now? What did he do this time?

He shuffled nervously and spoke.

"Hey there! What are you all doing here at this time? Waiting for your favorite gorgeous latino?" He fluttered his eyelashes for an even more flamboyant look. He had to hide his nerves somehow, after all.

Que collective groan.

"Lance, could you please refrain from flattering yourself? We have to talk to you." Shiro said, slight exasperation in his voice.

 _Dios Mio_. The dreaded six words. The sinking feeling Lance felt in his stomach was nothing compared to what he would surely face in this lecture.

He braced himself for the onslaught of words that would surely send him into another attack.

"I'm sorry."

What?

"E-Excuse me? What?" Lance was beyond confused.

"I'm sorry." Shiro repeated, voice firmer this time.

"For what? You didn't do anything."

"No, I did do something. I lost my patience, my hold on my temper, and took it out on you. I'm sorry, Lance."

He tried to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"I-I, um, t-thanks Shiro… I don't know what to say…" He was flabbergasted. Shiro was apologizing… to him? Sincerely? It was almost better when they were rude. He had no idea how to handle this situation, and he must have shown it, because Shiro and everyone else gave him a smile and engulfed him in a hug. Except for Keith. He was dragged in, and Lance had to make a real effort not to laugh at his uncomfortable expression. This was… nice, he supposed. He hadn't had a real hug in… so long. Not since… no, we're not going to _those_ thoughts, that would kill the mood. He decided to enjoy the warmth he felt while he still had it.

Lance smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.

Heya! I couldn't bring myself to ride on the angst train today, so we're stopping in Fluff Fields for now. In all honesty, I'm surprised at the amount of good reviews and love I've gotten. To show my appreciation, I will not shatter your heart this chapter, but if that's what you're here for, then don't worry; next chapter will have you covered.

Thanks so much for reading! I'll see you next chapter.

Luv, RMH~


	4. The Path to a New Home

Lance was having another 'flashback'. He had recently gently untangled himself from their hug, and headed to bed. With so much emotional strain, he fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

 _Lance's eyes fluttered open, sleep slowing his mind. When he gained full awareness, however, he saw he was in his homeland, Cuba._

 _It was a disaster zone. The hurricane wrecked everything in sight, and the only life visible was a group of three humans, crying for their lost home. The humans were Lance, his mother, and his darling brother, Amias. His father was gone._

 _As he walked closer, he could hear the conversation the three were having, words interrupted by broken sobs. Young five year old Lance, and three year old Amias, simply couldn't understand what had happened._

" _-ut Mama, why do we have to go?" Cried Lance._

" _Carino, America has so many more opportunities! We will be happy there, with lots of beaches and animals!" His mother replied._

" _But I like the beaches here! And the animals! Can't we just go home, mama?" Asked Lance, confused. He frowned further when his mother burst into more sobs._

" _Mama, why are you crying? We're gonna go home!" His mother sobbed harder. Amias spoke up._

" _Don' cry mama. Don' be sad." His words were undeveloped, but the message was clear. He spoke again, confused this time._

" _Where dada? Where dada go? Want dada." It was Lance's turn to cry this time. He witnessed his death, after all._

" _Dada's g-gone. N-no m-more dad-a," His words were halted by hiccups and sobs, and his mother drew both of them closer._

" _No dada? That silly Lany. Dada hidin, right?" Lance sobbed and fell to his knees. Amias was just too young to understand._

" _My dear boys, we will find a new home, make a new, happy, life. Doesn't that sound nice?" His mother tried to smile and reassure them._

" _O-Okay, Mama. When w-we get t-there, c-can we g-get churros?"_

" _Of course, Carino. All the churros you want."_

" _T-then let's go now! Come on Mama!" Lance said, smiling and wiping away his tears as he dragged his mother towards a new life._

Lance bolted out of bed as soon as his eyes opened. He rushed to settle his pounding heart. He got up and out of bed, not wanting to risk another 'flashback', and got ready. He checked the clock. 4:30 A.M. Early enough. By some miracle, Lance remembered his skin cream, and washed his face, making it as flawless as before. He took time to comb his hair, and stepped out for food goo.

To his relief, there wasn't a welcoming committee at this time, so he could eat in peace. He grabbed a plate, and loaded up the green goo that was his sustenance. He munched while he thought. It always pained him to think about his family, especially his father and Amias. He wondered if his mother was okay. She must think he's dead like father! He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he didn't notice a certain mullet-headed palladin walking in the room.

Until he fell off his chair.

He didn't realize he was slipping, either. Luckily, his food goo didn't spill, but he was cursing the ground a bit until he saw a hand in his sight. He looked further, and found it was connected to none other than Keith, trying to help him up. He looked at the hand quizzically, until its owner spoke up.

"Are you just gonna sit there? Cause' I'm gonna leave to get food if you are."

Lance quickly accepted the hand once he realized its intent. He was pulled up, and grabbed his food goo plate to clean it off. It was a kind of awkward silence. Until Keith cleared his throat.

"Why are you here this early? I thought it was your job to be 'fashionably late'." Keith commented, making air quotes.

"What do you mean? It's already five. That's pretty late compared to the normal times we wake up."

"Fair point, I guess. You seemed pretty tired yesterday. Why was that?" Wow. Keith seriously had no filter to his questions.

Lance decided to humor him.

"I mean, who wouldn't be after somebody unexpectedly group hugs you and tells you they're sorry. A lot of emotion at once, mullet. Kind of stuff tires you out." Lance quipped.

"No, I mean _before_ you got ambushed. You looked to be in pretty bad shape." _Now_ Lance needed to dodge the question.

"Aww, Keith, you do care! I'm so flattered! Did your favorite Cuban teammate finally grow on youuu?" Annoyance always did the trick, and it got Keith to take the bait.

"No! I'm just supposed to be caring for the welfare of my teammates! Honestly Lance, we _get it_ you love yourself! Get over it!" Ouch. He felt that one. Before he could retort though, Keith had already stormed off.

"Well _he_ didn't stay long." Lance muttered under his breath, and walked out of the kitchen. But of course, before he could rest, the castle alarms blared loudly throughout the structure, and he was on his feet. He threw on his armour, grabbed his bayard, and ran to the bridge, desperate not to be late this time. Luckily, he was the third one to get there, upped only by Keith and Shiro. Hunk and Pidge showed up mere seconds after.

"Princess, what's going on?" asked Shiro.

"We have received a distress call from a race called the Yssae. They are preparing for an attack from the galra. Normally, because of how strong a race they are, they would be well equipped to fight back-" Allura was interrupted by Keith.

"Then why do we have to help them! It sounds like they can handle the situation, and we're already spread thin with the recent invasions on more vulnerable planets!" Allura was clearly annoyed by Keith's rude interruption, and finished her sentence.

"As I was _trying_ to say, yes, they would be well equipped for a battle, but they are currently facing a problem with immigrating aliens, and simply aren't able to fight, and help them all at the same time." Allura finished. Lance's blood ran cold.

"We have to help them." Said Lance, unusually serious, and his demeanor scared them a bit.

"Lance wait!" Someone called behind him. But Lance had already ascended to his lion, and was preparing to launch to the coordinates of the distress signal.

"Lance! What's the rush man? You usually aren't so excited for a mission." Hunk joked, but he was a bit concerned, Lance didn't usually act like this.

"We need to help those immigrants. They're gonna need rations, water, shelter, and medical help, and with the galra attack, that may not be possible. Do you know how many immigrants die trying to find a new life?" Lance asked, already in the process of leaving the hangar.

"No. And you do?" Keith retorted.

"..." Lance stayed silent. He hated remembering what they had to do to make it to America. Amias, _Dios Mio_ , Amias. He was too young to die. Fate was truly cruel. His mother probably thought he was dead like father and Amias. He usually joked, but there was nothing fun about immigration.

Nothing fun about holding your sick ten year old brother and watching him die before you.

Nothing fun about fighting for your life every day. _It's either you or them,_ his mother told him. He learned to fight. He fought. He fought so hard for his new home, and he was taken from it. When his mother remarried, he thought he could have a normal life. He had new brothers and sisters, new grandparents, new aunts and uncles, and a new, just as loving father.

But they could never replace his real family.

He held back tears, and took off towards the planet.

"You didn't answer me Lance!" Keith shouted. Lance remained silent. He knew how hard it was for immigrants. He wanted them to get help, to have the chance he never got.

"LANCE!" Keith was becoming furious at being ignored.

"Keith. Let it go." Said Shiro, concerned by the usually talkative boy's silence. He didn't comment on it though, he would bring it up after the mission.

When the landed on the planet, Lance was the first one out, and with surprising vigor, talked with the Yssae. Everyone was shocked at how he started tending to the alien immigrants as if he knew what to do by experience.

No one saw the glimmering tears in his eyes as he saw a little alien child crying over a lost loved one. He walked over to the kid, hugged him, and whispered something the alien would never forget.

"I know how you feel. I lost everything too. You will pull through. You can be strong, and gain a new home, a new life. I promise."

The child in his arms hugged back and smiled.

"Thank you."

Heya! I made an actually long chapter! It's sorta angsty, but don't worry, it's only because I have been planning this for a while, and don't want it to seem sloppy or rushed. Life's been super busy, but I wanted to at least get this chapter out.

Luv, RMH~


	5. AN - I'm So Sorry!

I. Am. So. Sorry.

I sincerely apologize for how long it has taken me to complete chapter 5. I have been under quite a bit of stress, with school, family, etc. and haven't had any inspiration for the plot.

I hope you all know by now that I will never, _ever_ , post anything I consider sloppy or rushed. I have taken my time to complete this chapter for your best experience, and so I do hope that You'll forgive me for the long wait.

Luv, RMH~


	6. Both Friends and Foes Betray You

The team was very concerned for Lance.

Between an impulsive outburst worthy of Keith, his silence, and what looked like tears in his eyes after he randomly bear-hugged a small alien child, he really was worrying them.

They even discussed this while he tended to the immigrants as if from experience.

"What's with Lance today?" Asked Pidge, thoroughly perplexed.

"I have no idea. I've never seen him act like this. Except for that one time…" Hunk trailed off.

"What time?" Asked Keith.

"I would tell you, but I promised Lance I wouldn't say anything… It's um, a sensitive topic…" Hunk was sweating now and looking _very_ uncomfortable, so Shiro felt bad for pressing, but had to for Lance's sake. It could be important after all.

"Hunk, whatever it is, you'll have to tell us. Is it something wrong with Lance? Because as a team we need to know to prevent any incidents.

"What? No, nothing's wrong with Lance, not that I know of at least. It's… It's about his dad." Hunk was sweating even more now.

"What… What about his dad?" Shiro was immediately uncomfortable once he knew it was family business. He didn't want to unearth some horrible past the poor boy might just have.

Shiro really hoped that wasn't the case.

So obviously, that happened to be the case.

"W-Well, so Lance is at my house 'cause we're hanging out, right? All of the sudden we're talking about are families. He's asking me what it's like to have two moms" He suddenly flushed with pride at the thought of his two amazing mother's, "And I ask him what his dad is like, and he automatically corrected me, saying ' _ **Step**_ -Dad.' And he freezes up and slaps a hand over his mouth, and he starts crying, and I had no idea what to do-"

" _Hunk_ , calm down, why was he crying? What did he mean by 'step-dad'?" Shiro asked, not one to be left out of the loop.

"I-I didn't ask because I didn't want to upset him more. I just comforted him, and he told me to promise him I wouldn't tell. And here I am, telling you guys. I'm a terrible friend." Hunk was shamefaced.

"No Hunk, you're a great friend. Thank you for telling us, because now we can make him feel better, okay?" Shiro consoled the Samoan. Even so, Shiro frowned. If Lance was crying, it couldn't have been for a good reason. His frown deepened when the possibilities of what the reasons were ran through his mind.

"After this mission, we're talking to Lance." Shiro finally decided, his voice holding an air of authority that nobody dared question.

LINE BREAK

After helping to tend to the alien immigrants, Lance talked with the Yssae on how and where to move them, whether it be to sanctuaries, or to start a new life in the main city areas. He was so wrapped up in his conversations with the Yssae's main leaders, that he didn't notice his team watching his serious and urgent expression, and the following conversation around said expression, resulting in Hunk's spilling of his secret, and the further concern of his teammates.

But, by this point, Lance had finished his conversation, and began noticing the worried glancing from his team pointed towards him, and was extremely perturbed by how nice they were being to him all of the sudden. He recognized that they had a sort-of bonding moment during that group hug, but they never acted like this. Needless to say, he was extremely curious about what was going on, and took the most logical route to finding out what was going on:

Flat out, non-subtly bringing it up.

Go Lance.

"Hey, guys, I have a question for you." Lance said, smoothly walking up to them.

"Of course Lance, go ahead. We're always here to listen." Lance's frown deepened. He was seriously wondering if his team was being controlled by some weird plant that made them super nice, but continued on with the plan.

"So… why are you being super nice to me all of the sudden?" Lance questioned, and by his tone, the team could tell that this was a serious question. Hunk was sweating again, not wanting his betrayal of their promise to come to light.

"What do you mean Lance? We're treating you like we always do." Shiro replied. He hadn't even noticed he was treating Lance 'differently'. He thought that was how they always acted, right?

"No, you aren't. Even Keith is being nicer, so either you are all being controlled by alien plant spores, or somethings up. I smell blood in the water." Lance narrowed his eyes.

"Blood in the water? What are you, some sort of shark-detective?" Scoffed Keith (He doesn't know the Security Shark meme yet), but his voice wasn't as sharp as usual. That wasn't right.

"Actually, fun fact, I've always had deadly accurate intuition. I was actually hired by the police to sniff out criminals, and I have never been wrong. Not. Once. In. My. Life, and you guys are setting off some serious red flags right now, plus Hunk looks like he did something wrong, so spill. Right now, 'cause I _will_ _know_ if you're lying." The team looked slightly stunned, and _very_ uncomfortable. Lance almost felt bad, but he needed answers, and he needed them _now_.

Hunk couldn't take it. He cracked under Lance's intense stare, crying out.

"I'm so, _so so so so_ sorry Lance! I-I we-we were really worried about you, and I accidentally slipped up and then- oh god, I'm so sorry!" Hunk blubbered around for a bit before Lance finally stopped him.

" _Hunk_. Calm down, what are you sorry for?" Lance pressed on, undeterred, yet slightly concerned about the answer. It couldn't have been good if Hunk was freaking out this badly.

"I-I-I-… I told them about your 'step-father'." Hunk looked up shamefaced once again, and Lance froze, blood running cold, and heart stopping.

"You did _what_." Lance's voice was deadly calm, and Hunk flinched when he saw the horror and betrayal on Lance's face. "I _thought_ I told you to _never_ , _ever_ , tell _anyone_ about that." Lance was livid now, and it showed quite clearly.

"Lance, c-calm dow-" Shiro was interrupted by a _very_ angered Lance.

"NO! I told you to never say anything Hunk, but I guess that promise didn't mean much, because you told anyway! I-I can't- that was s-sens-itive information- I don't wa-nt to remember, why did you make me remember!?" Lance was sobbing now. He hated himself for crying. He was showing how weak he was! But he couldn't handle the rush of memories that came to him. The last moments of his father, his brother, _all of the blood…_

It was horrible.

He felt like he was on the verge of an attack, so he promptly turned and ran, shouts of his teammates behind him. He reached Blue, and upon his mental request, she immediately pulled up the particle barrier to prevent intruders, as she helped comfort and calm her paladin.


	7. Betrayal Can Mean Different Things

Betrayal was a word Lance knew well.

If you asked his mother about betrayal, she would say: Well, sometimes, the person you'd take a bullet for, ends up being the one behind the gun.

If you asked a dictionary, it would say that betrayal was the action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person.

But, if you asked Lance…

Betrayal only meant pain.

Lance had always hated the word _Betrayal_. His whole life, betrayal was all he had ever known. The saddest thing about betrayal, was that it never came from your enemies. You never let your enemies get close enough to hurt you that way. Deep down, the rational side of Lance knew that Hunk was just trying to help him, but the rational side was far overtaken by his emotions, which were currently a mess due to the attack he was experiencing at that moment.

He was hyperventilating, and tears were now spilling freely. Luckily, he managed to throw his helmet as far away as possible, so his team wouldn't hear him in his moment of weakness. Blue was in his mind, doing her best to spill soothing and positive waves over his frenzied mind. The attempt was recognized, and eventually, Lance began to calm down.

His sobs calmed to hiccups, and his breathing was somewhat back to normal. Lance was absolutely exhausted, both emotionally and physically. He layed his head on Blue's dashboard, and thought about how he would confront his friends, but the various reactions running through his mind began to build up, causing more anxiety. Blue sensed this, and decided to talk with her paladin.

 _My dear paladin, do not fret. Your friends are simply worried about you. You have done nothing wrong, and the yellow one meant only the purest of intentions. You made a new life before, and you can do it once more. It is okay._ Blue knew about his past. He practically shared a mind with her, how would she not know? He hated pity, when someone said, 'it's going to be okay', he felt weaker and more pathetic than ever. But the way Blue said it, so confident and promising, it was hard not to believe her.

"...Blue?"

 _Yes, my paladin?_

"Does the team hate me?" Lance's voice was so fragile, ready to shatter at the slightest misstep.

 _Of course not. If they truly did not care, then the yellow one wouldn't have said anything, and the rest wouldn't have made efforts to be kind. They did this because they_ _do_ _care._

"Blue?" Lance's voice was stronger this time.

 _Yes, my paladin?_

"Thank you. I'm going to go face my team now, wish me luck." He offered a lopsided smile, for once genuine.

 _Good luck, Lance._

And so Lance stepped out to meet his team.

I am so sorry this chapter is so short! I have to attend my friend's birthday party tomorrow, so I might post on Saturday. I made her a Sylveon scarf, and I'm gonna give it to her soon!

Luv, RMH~


	8. Redemption is a Lovely Thing

Lance hesitated at the opening of the cockpit.

Remembering Blue's words, he steeled himself, taking a deep breath. _In, out._

He stepped out into the bright light to meet his team…

LINE BREAK

Hunk had never felt more guilty in his entire life.

Lance, his best friend since forever, was hurt.

And it was all because of him.

He _knew_ , how sensitive the topic of his parents was to Lance, yet he still…

 _God,_ he was an awful friend. All he wanted to do was help Lance, but…

He made Lance _cry._ And he wanted to dig a hole and cry in it at that very thought.

At the moment, the team was gathered around, silent, as they contemplated exactly what they just did, until Pidge broke the silence with an eloquent "Guys? We _fucked_ up." Shiro hadn't even reprimanded her for _Language_ , instead, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Well, what do we do now? I wasn't the only one who saw tears, right? This is bad." Said Pidge, ever the one to state the obvious.

"Well, I mean, what can we do? What's done is done, and I think that we owe Lance a _major_ apology." Shiro said, the rest of the team nodding in agreement. There was silence for a moment, before Hunk spoke up.

"Guys?" Hunk started, "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have said anything, then we wouldn't be in this mess." Hunk looked extremely guilty, and that look on his usually happy face broke their hearts, just like with Lance. The blue paladin was usually so cheerful, even when they brushed him off, it was unsettling seeing that much pure rage and hurt on his face.

"It's not your fault, Hunk. It's mine. I forced you to tell information that was clearly sensitive, and it went about as well as anyone would expect." It was Shiro's turn to look guilty this time. He should have stopped, but his idiotic curiosity got the better of him, and he overstepped his boundaries, causing his own teammate to get hurt because of it.

" _Look_ , having a huge pity party isn't gonna fix this mess. We have to go find Lance, and apologise, then he might open up on his own, instead of us putting our noses where they don't belong. I'm usually all for mischief, but this serious, so we have to find a way to apologise _somehow_." Stated Pidge, an unusual voice of reason.

Keith stayed silent.

"Pidge is right. We're gonna find Lance, then we're gonna apologise, and make it up to him. He ran in the direction of the lions, so he's probably in Blue. Let's go" Shiro left no room for debate, and the rest of the team followed with no argument.

SECOND LINE BREAK

(For plot, of course)

The last thing Lance expected to see as soon as he came out of Blue, was his team sitting in front of the lions, clearly waiting for him. He immediately had an internal panic moment.

" _Hoooooly shitttt. Why are they RIGHT THERE!? I am NOT equipped to handle this! Maybe if I just turn around quietly enough, I ca-"_

And Blue, the cheeky bastard she is, closed the cockpit entrance at that exact moment, causing the rest of the team's heads to snap towards Lance, with an obvious deer-in-headlights expression on his face. At that point, it had been clear that he was trying to sneak away from them, but that had been thwarted easily by Blue, whom Lance gave a semi-heated glare.

"Lance! Wait! We have to talk to you." Not again. Those six words. Every. Damn. Time.

Well, shit. May as well get this over with. Lance trudged slowly towards his waiting team, accepting his fate.

"..." Lance stayed silent.

"Lance, please give us a chance. We want to make things right again. Our mission is basically over, so we have all the time to help. Please just let us try?" Shiro pleaded, and the rest of the team looked just as desperate. Lance contemplated this for a moment, set his jaw, then made a decision.

"...Fine. So… what- what do you want to talk about?" Lance's voice was so quiet that they had to strain to hear, but the intent was clear. Lance stood as far away as possible, and looked tense and uncomfortable.

Luckily for everyone involved, they decided to take this as slowly and carefully as possible.

"We came here to apologise. We never should have discussed such delicate information that we had no business knowing. By doing this, we hurt you, Lance, and that is unacceptable."

Lance was rather shell was the second time he'd been apologised to, and he really, _really_ , didn't know how to handle it. And they sounded so… sincere… Lance would be lying through his teeth if he said he didn't tear up a bit. Plus Blue was there, comforting, ready to protect, and he just… the dam broke, and all his walls came crashing down around him.

He began to cry.

The team thinking they had said something wrong again, sputtered out an apology, but were quickly cut off by Lance's strong bear hug. They all hugged back, relieved and crying.

Lance hadn't felt this safe in a while.

So sorry this chapter took so long, my laptop battery completely died, and it took weeks to get it. Also, on a lighter note, HOLYYYYYY SHITTTT GUYS. ALMOST 1000 HITS?! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH. So children, for a special treat, once we hit 1k, I'll post an A/N, and you'll see what I've come up with to show my gratitude.

Luv, RMH~


	9. Angsty-Ass AN (Alliteration)

So, um…

Heya guys. As you _might_ have noticed, I've been gone a while. And I really hate giving dumb excuses, but.. My dog (I'm allergic to dogs _and_ afraid of them, LIES) ate my laptop?

Haha. Just kidding.

But in all seriousness, I've been on hiatus for some… pretty sad reasons. Let me explain myself before you all hate me.

So… I have this disorder called paranoid personality disorder, which usually stems from childhood trauma, and has these symptoms:

believing that others have hidden motives or are out to harm me

doubting the loyalty of others

being hypersensitive to criticism

having trouble working with others

being quick to become angry and hostile

becoming detached or socially isolated

being argumentative and defensive

And the shitty list goes on and on.

So this isn't the full reason I've gone on this unannounced hiatus. Recently, I told my mom about my "feelings", which took a ton of courage and tears. Now, she wants me to tell my dad about these "feelings" which is a bit awkward, because he is the main cause of my disorder. To sum it up quickly, when I was a smol bean, he had… some pretty bad anger management issues, and I was home a lot, if you catch the drift. He's much better now, with my sister, after he went to a therapist.

So you may be able to tell why I might feel a little apprehensive talking to him about something he caused. After Mom told me to tell dad (Don't get mad at her, she doesn't know and is only trying to help me) she wants me to see a therapist, which I'm absolutely _revolted_ by, considering the above symptoms.

Due to all that, I've fallen into a bit of depression.

I've lost almost all motivation to do _anything_ , including writing, which was my passion for years.

So here's the deal.

I know that this is _so incredibly_ selfish of me to ask but…

Could you just comment something?

I know this sounds stupid, but I need to know if anyone is there.

As my symptoms grew worse, my comment rate dwindled to nothing, and although I know better, there's a tiny voice in my head telling me that it's because no one cares.

So please, just comment something, _anything_ , even hate if you want, but these comments are my biggest motivation. It's like christmas morning, checking my phone and seeing all of the love from you all. Telling me to take care of myself, how good my stories are, it's really nice.

So please.

I need to know that there's someone there.

I hope to see you in a new chapter, and I'll try my best.

Love, RMH


	10. Space Tacos Sound Good

Lance slowly untangled himself from the hug, tears drying from his face. He smiled at the team, then finally spoke.

"I, ah… thanks. How about we uh, head back? I think the missions over." Lance croaked out, throat sore from his previous attack.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm so hungry. Anyone up for space tacos?" Asked Hunk, knowing how much Lance enjoyed tacos, despite his 'Chipotle is white-mexican food, not the real deal Hunk, and you can't change me' attitude, and usually turned to Hunk for his favorite comfort food. Hunk had recently been experimenting with flavors, and the first thing he tested were tacos, and they were amazing.

Lance's face brightened visibly and he replied with an enthusiastic 'yes!', then quickly headed over to Blue, who opened up instantly, a noise of exasperated fondness leaving her.

LINE BREAK

For once, their ride back to the castle was calm, to which there was no complaints. When they got back, they decided to not tell the princess about what happened after the main task, but informed her that the mission was a success, and that all of the immigrants were safe. Lance was both physically and emotionally exhausted, so the first thing he did was take a nap.

Of course, that was what dampened his mood.

 _Lance opened his eyes with a small gasp, unable to recognize his surroundings._

 _Then, it hit him._

 _He knew where he was._

 _He heard children crying, shouting and glass breaking._

 _He knew exactly where he was._

 _He opened his eyes, not even realizing that he closed them tightly once he heard the glass._

 _He heard another scream, and he knew it was his time to act. He ran to the source of the screaming, knowing he wasn't prepared for what comes next. He stumbled into a clearing, and yeah, he definitely wasn't prepared._

 _In the clearing, there were three children, and a middle aged man. The children were huddled together, trembling in fear of the looming man in front of them. The man was Lance's first step father, and he was furious._

 _The three children were Lance's, and two of his sister's, who had been caught attempting to smuggle food to their brother, who hadn't been fed in days._

" _YOU FUCKING BRATS, I TOLD YOU NOT TO GIVE HIM FOOD, OR YOU ALL ARE NEXT."_

" _p-please sir, d-don't hurt us, w-we won't do it again p-promise." said Lance's sister Marie, close to tears._

" _YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I THINK YOU NEED TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON." the man smirked evilly, the children began sobbing knowing what would happen next._

 _Lance turned away as soon as he heard the screams._

 _Marie didn't make it through the night._

 _The next day, CPS was called, and Lance's step-father was taken away with charges of child abuse and manslaughter, Lance was still shaken, remembering Marie's face, how the life drained out of her eyes, it was awful. His mother cried for hours due to guilt, and the loss of a second child. A good Samaritan paid for the funeral service, so that Marie could receive a proper burial. Lance wished Amias could have gotten the same._

 _Lance, his mother, and his sister and brother moved far away that week._

Lance jolted awake, a thin sheet of sweat blanketing him. He slowly curled into a ball, tears pouring out like the metaphorical rain pelting his sore head. God, his head hurt. He decided to get out of bed, officially scared of sleeping, not wanting more awful memories. 'I might as well get some of Hunk's space tacos, those should bring my mood up.' Lance thought

And Lance stepped out to meet his team, his friends.


End file.
